100 Common Vocabulary Words and High-Scoring Synonyms for IELTS Writing Task 2 (Essays)

1–20: General Verbs

  1. Get → obtain, acquire, gain
    Students acquire knowledge through various means.
  2. Make → create, produce, construct
    Governments must create opportunities for all citizens.
  3. Do → perform, carry out, conduct
    The research was conducted over five years.
  4. Have → possess, contain, hold
    Many developing countries possess untapped resources.
  5. Say → state, assert, claim
    The minister stated that reforms are necessary.
  6. Think → consider, believe, assume
    Many people believe that education should be free.
  7. Show → demonstrate, reveal, indicate
    The findings reveal a strong correlation.
  8. Give → provide, offer, grant
    The program provides financial support.
  9. Take → undertake, accept, assume
    Young people must undertake responsibilities early.
  10. Help → assist, support, aid
    Governments should assist low-income families.
  11. Improve → enhance, boost, strengthen
    This policy enhances economic growth.
  12. Reduce → decrease, minimize, alleviate
    The initiative aims to reduce pollution.
  13. Increase → rise, grow, escalate
    Tuition fees have escalated in recent years.
  14. Use → utilize, employ, apply
    Modern technologies are employed in agriculture.
  15. Cause → lead to, result in, trigger
    Deforestation leads to biodiversity loss.
  16. Need → require, necessitate, demand
    Urban areas require better infrastructure.
  17. Start → commence, initiate, launch
    The government launched a campaign on recycling.
  18. End → conclude, terminate, cease
    Hostilities ceased after the agreement.
  19. Support → advocate, promote, uphold
    The report advocates for gender equality.
  20. Allow → enable, permit, facilitate
    Technology enables remote learning.

21–40: Academic Nouns

  1. Problem → issue, challenge, concern
    Unemployment remains a significant issue.
  2. Solution → remedy, resolution, answer
    Education is a long-term solution to poverty.
  3. Result → outcome, consequence, effect
    The outcome of the trial was unexpected.
  4. Change → shift, transformation, modification
    Climate change involves global temperature shifts.
  5. Difference → disparity, variation, distinction
    Income disparities have widened globally.
  6. Opinion → perspective, viewpoint, belief
    Many hold the belief that exams are outdated.
  7. Way → method, approach, strategy
    A new strategy is required to tackle crime.
  8. Thing → item, object, element
    Education is a key element of development.
  9. People → individuals, citizens, members of society
    Citizens must be aware of their rights.
  10. Idea → concept, notion, proposal
    The proposal to ban plastic bags gained support.
  11. Information → data, details, facts
    Accurate data is essential for research.
  12. Job → occupation, profession, career
    Teaching is a rewarding profession.
  13. Education → schooling, instruction, academic training
    Formal instruction starts at an early age.
  14. Money → income, funds, financial resources
    The school lacked sufficient funds.
  15. Government → authorities, administration, state
    The state must ensure public safety.
  16. Law → regulation, legislation, legal framework
    New regulations were introduced to curb smoking.
  17. Technology → innovation, advancement, tools
    Technological advancements have revolutionized medicine.
  18. Health → wellbeing, fitness, condition
    Mental wellbeing is often overlooked.
  19. Environment → ecosystem, habitat, surroundings
    Industrial waste harms the ecosystem.
  20. Development → progress, growth, expansion
    Urban expansion poses environmental risks.

41–60: Adjectives

  1. Good → beneficial, positive, advantageous
    Exercise has numerous beneficial effects.
  2. Bad → harmful, detrimental, adverse
    Smoking has adverse health effects.
  3. Important → significant, crucial, vital
    Education plays a vital role in society.
  4. Easy → simple, straightforward, effortless
    Online registration is now straightforward.
  5. Difficult → challenging, complex, demanding
    Parenting can be a demanding task.
  6. Big → large, massive, substantial
    Substantial investments are needed in infrastructure.
  7. Small → minor, limited, minimal
    The impact was minimal.
  8. Fast → rapid, swift, accelerated
    Rapid urbanisation is a global issue.
  9. Slow → gradual, sluggish, delayed
    Recovery was sluggish after the recession.
  10. Old → elderly, aged, senior
    The elderly often require special care.
  11. Young → youth, adolescent, juvenile
    Adolescents need guidance and support.
  12. New → recent, modern, contemporary
    Modern societies face complex issues.
  13. Strong → robust, resilient, solid
    The economy remained resilient.
  14. Weak → fragile, vulnerable, delicate
    Small businesses are vulnerable to inflation.
  15. Clear → evident, apparent, obvious
    The benefits are evident.
  16. Unclear → ambiguous, vague, uncertain
    The policy goals remain vague.
  17. Safe → secure, protected, risk-free
    Children should grow up in secure environments.
  18. Dangerous → hazardous, risky, unsafe
    Air pollution poses hazardous risks.
  19. Happy → content, satisfied, joyful
    Employees are more productive when content.
  20. Sad → upset, depressed, sorrowful
    Unemployment can leave people feeling depressed.

61–80: Linking/Abstract Words

  1. Because → due to, as a result of, owing to
    The delay was due to technical issues.
  2. But → however, nevertheless, on the other hand
    Nevertheless, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
  3. So → therefore, thus, consequently
    Consequently, literacy rates have improved.
  4. Also → in addition, furthermore, moreover
    Moreover, it promotes inclusivity.
  5. Very → extremely, highly, exceedingly
    The program is highly effective.
  6. Really → genuinely, truly, actually
    He genuinely believes in the cause.
  7. Maybe → perhaps, possibly, conceivably
    Perhaps more funds are needed.
  8. Always → consistently, invariably, regularly
    They consistently meet performance targets.
  9. Often → frequently, commonly, repeatedly
    This problem occurs frequently.
  10. Sometimes → occasionally, at times, intermittently
    At times, students feel overwhelmed.
  11. Almost → nearly, virtually, practically
    The task is virtually impossible.
  12. Too → excessively, overly, disproportionately
    The workload is excessively demanding.
  13. Enough → sufficient, adequate, ample
    There is not sufficient evidence.
  14. More → additional, further, extra
    Additional training is necessary.
  15. Less → reduced, lower, decreased
    Reduced emissions benefit the environment.
  16. Many → numerous, several, countless
    Numerous studies support this claim.
  17. Few → limited, scarce, minimal
    Job opportunities are scarce.
  18. Most → the majority of, the bulk of, the greater part of
    The majority of respondents agreed.
  19. All → every, the whole, the entirety of
    The whole population was affected.
  20. Some → certain, a number of, various
    Certain factors influence consumer behavior.

81–100: Academic Phrases

  1. A lot of → a large number of, a considerable amount of, a significant quantity of
    A large number of people commute daily.
  2. Get better → improve, recover, progress
    Healthcare systems must improve.
  3. Get worse → deteriorate, decline, worsen
    Conditions have worsened over time.
  4. Go up → rise, increase, escalate
    Prices have escalated recently.
  5. Go down → decrease, fall, decline
    Pollution levels have fallen.
  6. Look at → examine, analyse, investigate
    The report examines global trends.
  7. Talk about → discuss, address, elaborate on
    The essay discusses key challenges.
  8. Find out → discover, determine, identify
    Researchers identified three key patterns.
  9. Point out → highlight, emphasize, underline
    The study highlights the need for reform.
  10. Come up with → devise, develop, formulate
    The team developed a new strategy.
  11. Work on → focus on, concentrate on, dedicate effort to
    They focused on reducing carbon emissions.
  12. Deal with → address, tackle, cope with
    Policies must tackle inequality.
  13. Think about → reflect on, consider, contemplate
    Students should consider alternative careers.
  14. Put off → postpone, delay, defer
    The meeting was postponed.
  15. Set up → establish, found, initiate
    A new fund was established.
  16. Take part in → participate in, engage in, be involved in
    Many citizens participate in elections.
  17. Keep on → continue, persist, maintain
    The trend continues globally.
  18. Break down → collapse, fail, disintegrate
    Talks collapsed due to disagreements.
  19. Bring about → cause, lead to, result in
    The reforms brought about social change.
  20. Carry on → continue, proceed, persevere
    They proceeded despite the difficulties.

Final Thoughts

Using these formal and academic synonyms will help you improve your coherence, cohesion, and lexical resource in IELTS Writing Task 2. Aim to use a range of vocabulary accurately and appropriately for a higher band score.

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